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Quitting Smoking: Getting Support

Introduction

Quitting is hard, and you probably know
this. Maybe you've quit before. If so, that's normal. Most people quit many
times.

What can you do to make it more likely that you'll kick
the habit for good?

One important part of quitting smoking is
getting help from those around you. Your family, friends, coworkers, and
community groups all can help you.

The following information also
applies if you use other tobacco products, such as chew or snuff.

Tell people that you're trying to quit. Don't hide your attempt
because you're afraid people will see you fail. Most people know how hard it is
to quit smoking and that many smokers have to try several times before they
succeed.

Support can help you quit smoking, and experts
recommend getting support from friends, family, and coworkers. Former smokers can often offer advice and inspiration.

Support comes in many forms. It can be positive words and actions,
helpful tips, or gentle reminders to stay on track.

You may ask for different types of support from different
people. For example, you can ask one friend if you can call late at night to
talk about how you feel, and you can ask another friend to do things with you
to distract yourself from
nicotine cravings.

You need support, because it's hard to quit smoking. When you stop
smoking, the
withdrawal from nicotine can make you grouchy. Your
body craves nicotine. You want that cigarette.

The psychological
side of quitting may be just as tough. You may feel as if you're surrounded by
cigarettes. You see them advertised. Friends smoke. You miss the social rituals
of smoking, such as lighting up during your coffee break or as you drive home
from work. Smoking may have been part of your celebrations and something to
turn to when you were stressed.

Support can help you through the
stress of losing this part of your life.

Friends and family can
provide shoulders to lean on, and they can encourage you to follow through with your
quit-smoking plan. They can help distract you when you want to smoke and can
understand when you're a bit grumpy.

Support can help you quit
smoking. Your doctor, counselors, and former smokers are good sources of support. Also, experts recommend getting support from friends, family, and
coworkers.1

Test Your Knowledge

Support is a good thing to have, but nobody really
knows if it helps you stop smoking.

Before anybody
can help you quit smoking, you have to ask for help. Many people are wary of
helping. They may feel that helping you is the same as nagging you and that
this may make it harder for you to quit.

Tell people that you're
quitting and that you want their support. Make clear what you expect. Do you
want to ask a friend to call you each day, or every couple of days, to see how you are doing? Or would you prefer to ask your friend if you can call when you need support? Be sure to tell people how much help you want.

Getting support

Let people know what to expect
when you quit and how they can help.

Tell others that as you stop using tobacco, you may be nervous or grouchy. Ask them to put
up with you, because this will pass.

Ask others to invite you to
activities to help keep your mind off smoking. Tell them that you'll invite
them to do things too. Try going for lunchtime walks, going to movies, or
getting involved with a hobby.

Plan special celebrations with your
family and friends when you reach one of your quit-smoking goals.

Find someone else who wants to quit, and agree to be "quit
buddies." This may make quitting easier. You know that someone is sharing the
same goals. Your buddy can help you when you're having a craving.

Tell people the specific ways they can help you. You may ask one friend to call
or visit you to see how it's going. You may ask another friend if you can call
when stress causes a craving or just to talk things over.

Talk with others about your fears. For example, many people are worried about
gaining weight when they quit smoking. If you are worried about gaining weight, tell a close friend about your fear. Ask for his or her support in being more active and making good food choices.

Avoiding triggers

Smokers usually have
triggers, which are things that make you want to
smoke. Family and friends can help you avoid them.

Ask friends and family not to take you to
places where people smoke.

Identify your triggers, and ask for
help avoiding them. For example, if you always have had a smoke with a coffee
break, ask a coworker to come by your desk at this time for a chat or a quick
walk.

Drinking alcohol is often a trigger. You may need to give up alcohol while you are quitting smoking.

Talking to other smokers

Friends who smoke or who
have quit smoking can help you.

Talk to people who have quit smoking. They
understand what you're going through and can help you through your cravings.

Ask them how they got through times when
they wanted to smoke again.

Ask them about the good things that
quitting smoking has done for them, such as a change in their health and sense
of well-being.

Ask them for any tips on how to make it easier and
about using medicine, classes, or phone hotlines for quitting.

Ask people who smoke not to smoke around you.
Ask them to keep ashtrays and cigarette packs out of sight.

If you
live with someone who smokes, see if that person wants to quit smoking with you. If not, talk with him or her about not smoking in front
of you and about setting up smoke-free areas.

Other types of support

Many people reach beyond
family and friends for support. Here are some ideas:

Tell your doctor the good news that you are planning to quit. Your doctor may suggest medicine to help you quit. Or if you were thinking about trying nicotine replacement, he or she can help you decide whether to use just one product or if a combination might work best for you.

Get advice and support. This can be by telephone, one-on-one,
or in a group. The more support you get, the better your chances of quitting.
Counseling sessions can also help you if you start smoking again.

Join a
support group for people who are quitting smoking.
People who have quit or are quitting know what you're going through and can
help you.

Join a
quit-smoking program. Your doctor may be able to
suggest one. You can also find programs on the Internet.

Use the
Internet. The Internet gives you 24-hour access to information about quitting
smoking and to chat rooms that can provide support.

When you quit, pass it on. Be sure
to support other smokers who are trying to quit.

If you would like more information on quitting smoking,
the following resources are available:

Organizations

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC): Smoking and Tobacco Use

1600 Clifton Road

Atlanta, GA 30333

Phone:

1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)

TDD:

1-888-232-6348

Email:

cdcinfo@cdc.gov

Web Address:

www.cdc.gov/tobacco

This
website provides resources for quitting smoking and tobacco prevention, including information for children, teens, researchers, and scientists.
There are also reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fact sheets, a publications catalog, a smoking and health resource library, and other materials, such as buttons, calendars, and eCards.

This is also the location for the State Tobacco Activities Tracking and Evaluation (STATE) System.

National Network of Tobacco Cessation
Quitlines

Phone:

1-800-784-8669 or 1-800-QUITNOW

The toll-free number is a single access point to the National
Network of Tobacco Cessation Quitlines. Callers are automatically routed to a
state-run quitline, if one exists in their area. If there is no state-run
quitline, callers are routed to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) quitline,
where they may receive help with quitting smoking, informational materials, and
referrals to other resources.

Smokefree.gov

Phone:

1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669)

TDD:

1-800-332-8615

Email:

NCISmokeFreeTeam@mail.nih.gov

Web Address:

www.smokefree.gov

This website provides free information and
professional assistance to help support people who are trying to quit smoking.
The information provided is for both the immediate and long-term needs of
people who are trying to quit and for friends and family who care about them.

This website includes an online guide to
quitting smoking, local and state telephone quitlines, the National Cancer
Institute's national telephone quitline and instant messaging service, and
publications that can be ordered or downloaded and printed. There is also a link to women.smokefree.gov, which has more resources for women who want to quit smoking.

Quitting smoking can be hard. Here are some tools that
can help you do this:

This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.